Episode 222 – Eat and Run (1)

Eat and Run (1)

In the mafia’s waiting room, Karlos settled down calmly as he watched the screen. The faces of the family beside him were filled with murderous intent.

Shion had survived the hitman’s attack, and Eva had already lost. Of course, the game wasn’t over yet, but the outcome seemed clear.

“It’s my fault. To Eva, it must have seemed like a ghost had come back to life.”

“……Boss. What should we do?”

An executive asked. Karlos leaned his head back.

The worst-case scenario had happened twice.

Johanna’s player had figured out the game manipulation and had also survived the hitman. But Karlos was prepared for even the worst after that.

“Are we ready?”

“Everything is in place. We have the tacit agreement of the other eight mafias for tonight.”

Therefore, there were only two options left.

Either give up the stake in the Golden Casino and leave,

Or personally assassinate Johanna on the spot.

“Get ready.”

“Yes. We will activate the hitmen.”

In a casino that is usually a No-Mana Zone, hitmen are the strongest force. They are human weapons, handling guns as if they were parts of their body and turning all sorts of objects into lethal weapons.

Karlos had already hidden his hitmen all over the casino.

“She must not leave alive.”

From the moment Johanna discussed Eva’s life, there was never any room for negotiation.

* * *

──It looks like the winner will be decided soon!

The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers.

Johanna sank into the sofa. The last game remained, but the winner was already decided.

──It’s the last game!

Anyway, it felt like dopamine was rushing down her head like a waterfall. Her eyes twitched on their own, and the ecstasy of victory made her fingertips tremble.

But there was no time to be intoxicated by it.

She had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

A stake in [Golden Casino] is not an asset that can be easily obtained. The place is more like a ‘nation’ than a corporation.

Losing 3% of the stake would be a severe blow to the Karlos family. They would not give it up easily.

This is a matter of concern not only for the Karlos family but for all other mafias as well.

[Golden Casino] has always been the exclusive property of the mafia.

Therefore, Johanna had already prepared an escape route.

It would be madness to engage in a head-on confrontation in the casino, which was as good as their home ground.

However…

Information about dealer Hayes had already been leaked.

The question is not limited to ‘how’.

What’s most important is ‘who’.

In other words, it’s a matter of people.

Johanna silently surveyed the interior.

Her own division, six people, sharing the same space.

Among them, there is a traitor.

Someone who betrayed her trust and leaked her strategy is breathing the same air.

“……Everyone, step outside for a moment. I need to sort out the stakes.”

All of them left the waiting room.

Johanna was silently lost in thought.

[Chip Leader: Player Shion]

The screen showed Shion Ascal in first place. With the last game nearing its end, victory was all but assured.

“Beckman. Come in.”

Johanna called Beckman first. She handed him a note as he came running like a dog.

“I’ll be heading there soon, so go ahead and clear the way. I’ll assign the others different tasks, so let them know.”

“Yes!”

Beckman immediately left the waiting room. Next, Johanna called her casino manager, ‘Bethon’. She handed him a note after giving him the same instructions.

“Yes. I’ll be on standby.”

“Now, bring in the next one…”

Johanna had prepared six different escape routes and handed out one to each member of her division.

After sending everyone out, she quietly sank into the sofa.

“……Phew.”

Now, it was time to sip wine and enjoy today’s victory.

If one couldn’t savor such a delightful victory because of mere war or death, there would be no greater inversion of sense.

──Now, the final hand at the table will be revealed.

Shion Ascal.

He threw down his last chip on the screen.

* * *

[Chip Leader: Player Shion]

The large name appeared on the scoreboard. I revealed my hand, and Eva revealed hers.

I had a Q triple.

Eva had an A two-pair.

It was the conclusion of the last game.

──The winner is player Shion Ascal!

The announcer’s proclamation echoed as a large firecracker exploded. The other players clapped with mixed expressions.

I looked at Eva amidst it all. Eva exhaled deeply as she looked back at me.

──A rookie who appeared like a comet! The exceptional player, Shion, who won the championship at his debut! Please come up to the stage!

What followed was the award ceremony. I received the championship trophy and medal. I was also presented with a panel that had the 60 million Ren prize money printed on it.

After that, there were hugs with the tournament organizer and exchanges of pleasantries with the players I had gamed with…

“How did you survive?”

Eva asked me as she offered a handshake.

“I’m a bit sturdy.”

I took her hand.

“……Sturdy?”

“Yeah. Right now, I could break your neck with just one finger.”

“……”

Eva looked up at me with a stiff face. She tried to withdraw her hand, but I pulled her in.

“It’s not a joke. I still have a bullet lodged in my collarbone.”

Then Eva forced a smile.

“So, why don’t you kill me now?”

I twisted the corner of my mouth with a smirk.

This woman pretends to be calm, but you can’t hide a heartbeat. The thumping of Eva’s pulse was noticeable in the hand I held. It fluttered pitifully.

“Well. I’ll let you off.”

I released her hand, and Eva slightly furrowed her brow.

“…You’re letting me go?”

“Yeah.”

The hitman was likely the work of Eva’s sponsor—Karlos. Eva must have agreed to it, but killing her over it would just be tiresome for both of us.

“You said you’d kill me.”

“That was a bluff. It shattered your mental composure, didn’t it?”

I don’t want to become a criminal in front of everyone. The casino isn’t outside the law, and more importantly, I’m not a murderer.

“…”

Eva’s complexion changed subtly, as if she had hoped I would kill her or at least harm her in some equivalent way.

Thanks to her expression, I knew there was something more to come.

“What will you do with the prize money?”

Eva asked quietly.

The prize money was a whopping 60 million Ren. With a loan, I could probably build a small building on a piece of prime real estate in the capital of Edsilla.

“Well.”

But first, I’ll reinvest 80% of it in Zia. As long as Johanna dominates the [Golden Casino], Zia needs to have comparable resources to maintain balance.

The remaining 20%…

“Maybe donate it to an orphanage or a hospital.”

“Orphanage?”

Eva frowned.

“You’ve done your research, so why play dumb? You know I’m from an orphanage.”

Just as I knew Eva’s personal information, she would know about me. To devise the right strategy, one must understand the opponent’s playstyle and even their life story.

“That’s true but-”

“Then. It was a good game today. You did well too.”

I let go of her hand and turned away.

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Eva grabbed my wrist. She whispered in a very small voice.

─Don’t go to the waiting room, leave directly through the casino stairs.

Then she immediately let go of my hand.

“…”

There was no deceit in Eva’s voice. Before I could respond, I watched her turn and walk away, and I smiled faintly.

Sometimes, when you extend kindness instead of malice, you get a good boomerang like this.

That’s why I don’t want to become a ghost who only kills.

* * *

Johanna attended a high-society gathering on the top floor. There, she enjoyed her clean victory.

She smiled at the superficial compliments from the approaching mafiosos, humbly brushed off her success as mere luck, and even indulged in a glass of champagne…

Even while certain of an impending attack, Johanna maintained her joy.

Showing a sharp, cat-like demeanor would only put the others on guard. Showing weakness in the face of death would only make a fool of oneself.

She occasionally fiddled with the revolver in her embrace. A lethal weapon in a No-Mana Zone. A gunpowder weapon powerful enough to penetrate a tiger’s skull.

“Well then. I should go.”

Night had fallen. Johanna waved goodbye to the attendees and turned to leave. They each offered her words of admiration. The flattery was almost suffocating.

As soon as Johanna left the high society event, she sensed someone trailing her.

It wasn’t her security detail. She had dismissed all her bodyguards, having found them untrustworthy to begin with.

She chose the stairs from the top floor of the socialite gathering.

This casino boasted the breadth of a small town. However, not far from here was a building similar to the Libra diplomatic embassy, and that would serve as her escape route.

Johanna descended the stairs, revolver in hand. There was no sound of pursuit from above. Perhaps they had chosen the Elevator.

She emerged onto the 43rd-floor corridor.

It was dimly lit.

Most of the spaces were vacant, and the sound of her footsteps echoed clearly.

At that moment.

“!”

Johanna instinctively rolled to the side. It was an instinctual detection of danger.

Chang─!

A dagger was thrust vertically from above. A hitman in a suit clung to the ceiling.

Bang─!

Johanna detonated her revolver. The man dodged like a bat, quickly moving away.

Tadak!

At the same time, the entire 43rd floor went dark. Every space was engulfed in blackness.

“……”

She walked cautiously, on guard for an ambush. Her location was exposed, but she felt no fear.

Now, her instincts were colder than ever. Her senses were as sharp as a wild animal’s. Surely she would detect anyone approaching…

As she stepped backward.

Thump-

Something touched her back. It felt like a person. Johanna’s hair stood on end. Her breath stopped for a moment.

But even in such a critical moment, her reason remained on high alert. If it were a hitman, there would be no need for physical contact. A simple approach and kill would suffice.

Therefore──

“Shh.”

A quiet sound, a signal to be silent.

A hand reached from behind and snatched Johanna’s revolver, then aimed into the darkness ahead and pulled the trigger.

Bang──!

Gurk!

The sound of detonation and a death rattle intermingled. In the darkness, red gunpowder and blood spurted. Johanna saw the man fall like a leaf.

It was the hitman who had just thrown the dagger from the ceiling.

“……It seems there’s a hitman on each floor waiting in ambush. However, they operate individually, so our location likely hasn’t been compromised.”

The voice explaining the hitman’s operation was quite familiar. It was cold and calm, and rather pleasant to hear.

Johanna turned to look at him.

“Why is Miss Johanna alone?”

Indeed, it was Shion Ascal.

He returned the revolver to her. Johanna gripped it in her hand and replied,

“Because I can’t trust anyone.”

She handed him a note with the escape route written on it, belonging to her own unit.

However, with a traitor infiltrated within, the odds were 1 in 6. There was at least a 16% chance of being betrayed and losing her life.

If a 16% risk meant death, it was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

Moreover, she couldn’t ignore the possibility that the traitor might realize her intentions first.

Therefore, by reversing the reverse, choosing to forge her own path alone rather than selecting any of the six was her way.

“I see.”

Shion nodded his head.

“Then let’s go. First…”

He removed the shoes from the hitman.

“High heels will get you tracked.”

Then, he knelt on one knee and took off Johanna’s high heels himself.

Despite her seemingly carefree exterior, her aristocratic ego was strong, and she would find it shameful to even take off her shoes herself.

Shion fitted her small feet into the slightly oversized shoes of the hitman.

“It might be hard to walk, but at least you won’t be tracked by your footsteps. And…”

Shion stood up. Johanna quietly looked up at him as he rose swiftly.

“I apologize. I will commit a slight rudeness.”

He reached out and adjusted Johanna’s hair. He swept up her long hair and tied it up like an apple, then placed a large beret-like hat on top.

Johanna had stood still until then.

“Now, wear this.”

Lastly, Shion took off his own coat. Johanna draped it over her shoulders and saw his collarbone.

There was blood, darkly clotted against his skin.

“…Did you get injured on your way here?”

“…”

Shion also silently looked at his shoulder. There was still bleeding near the collarbone.

“It’s nothing serious. What’s important is this.”

Shion handed her a trophy.

The World Series of Poker championship trophy. Johanna carefully accepted it, pondering.

“Then, I will lead the way.”

Could Shion Ascal truly be trusted?

The judgment on that question, mixed with doubt, unfolded instinctively.

‘Yes.’